It is like watching a road show version of the Jerry Springer Show.
Look if you find yourself in handcuffs after fighting with a woman over a 25 inch flat screen TV you may want to reevaluate your damn life.The cost of the TV may be dramatically reduced but your dignity should have a higher price tag.
The other day at my Mom's house I had a couple of female relatives tell me they were heading over to stand in line and take advantage of the Black Friday sales.
I told them they did not have to bother, and that I would gladly hold up a flaming hoop for them to jump through right there in the living room. I also filled them in on why they should avoid shopping at Wal-Mart.
But it did no good, these are my relatives who get all of their information from Facebook, and refuse to read my posts because there are "too many words." (Yeah there's simply no helping some people.)
Let me just say that I have three flat screen televisions in my home, of
varying sizes, and that I did NOT ONCE stand outside in the cold for six hours, nor bitchslap a fellow consumer, in order to get my hands
on any of them. Perhaps I am simply not a good example of the American capitalist, but I think I would feel some sense of shame if I had injured another human being or froze my testicles off in order to watch reruns of "How I Met Your Mother" on a slightly larger screen.
Gawker has a story up explaining why this is also called Brown Friday…here's a hint…it involves poop.
ReplyDeleteI have NEVER understood why people would put themselves through this. Isn't their time worth anything? Black Friday seems like something straight out of The Hunger Games.
ReplyDeleteTEXASMEL
Actually the aftereffects of the end of civilization.
ReplyDeleteIt ended back during the first days of the Cheney/Bush junta.
Brought to you now . . . live . . . on your favorite news channel.
Yay US.
The solution is obvious...more Black Friday shoppers packing heat in support of their 2nd amendment remedies would restore order and civility quicker and cheaper than anything else. An American solution for an American problem. What could go wrong with that?
ReplyDelete"...my relatives who ... refuse to read my posts because there are "too many words." (Yeah there's simply no helping some people.)"
ReplyDelete"...too many words". Can't stop laughing about that one! You gotta admit that some of your relatives get down to the bottom line very quickly. The biggest problem with reading anything is that ... there's just too many words! Hilariously funny! Thanks Gryphen, I needed a good laugh.
Best advertisement I've seen for shopping online. No wonder Amazon has had phenomenal growth.
ReplyDeleteNow if only they would not treat their employees as brutally as Walmart treats theirs.
DeleteOT: Mormon Bishop goes undercover and discovers most of his congregation doesn't practice what they preach:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AngLKF02OUE
Are these armed-to-the-gills security people Walmart employees, or actual cops who are paid with public money?
ReplyDeleteIf the latter, it's yet another case of taxpayers subsidizing the world's largest retailer.
I saw a lady being interviewed on TV(from the safety of my living room) saying that shopping on Thanksgiving was going to be the start of a new family tradition for her.
ReplyDeleteAmerican consumerism at it's finest. Really, what says Thanksgiving like fighting over a new x-box or widescreen?
I am not a relative...I read your posts everyday, coming back often to see if anything new has been posted, disappointed when there is nothing new.
ReplyDeleteWe've been waiting for Small Business Saturday. We'll still hit a few of the big chain stores, but only for specific items & if they're sold out, no biggie. The pet store for parrot treats, then beer tasting at our favorite little international grocery story. Might even hit the Greek restaurant for some fresh pita & tzatziki!
ReplyDeleteSo a fun day rather than the Hunger Games (btw, the sequel is terrific and at our local, non-chain movie theatre).
I avoid shopping this entire weekend at all costs.
DeleteHowever, I will make an exception tomorrow for Small Business Saturday when I visit my local garden/feed store to buy some bird seed for my backyard.
(I might also have to look for a local Greek restaurant now since your comment got me hungry for pita & tzatziki!)
Someone was saying yesterday that if Walmart are going to open their crappy stores on Thanksgiving then Thanksgiving at Walmart should become the traditional venue for all brawling, leaving Black Friday free. I have to agree, imagine hordes of nasty-ass people rocking up to Walmart just to rumble- and not shop. That would still be better than Walmart deserve.
ReplyDeleteFor us "older" folks, gosh I remember the world before Walmart.
ReplyDeleteWe shopped in friendly family owned stores and it was actually safe and fun. Sorry, but Walmart is a cancer...just like Palin. They have destroyed zillions of businesses whenever they hit a town....you know it's over. If not for Walmart's insatiable appetite for cheap krap, maybe decent factory workers would have a chance, stopping all the outsourcing preying on the weak in countries without any labor laws. They are a cancer....6 multi billionaire family members that rely on our tax dollars to support their employees without any shame whatsoever. It seems shame just doesn't exist anymore....this video is beyond my ability to comprehend. I often wonder how I manage to live with only 1 TV....and it isn't flat or HD, poor me.
camping out overnight, or standing in line for 12 hours to get into a Target? To buy a no-name brand 50" TV that will probably croak the day after it's warranty expires. Absolute insanity. Where is the outrage from the family values crowd? The real war is on Thanksgiving. Had a wonderful day with family yesterday, drama free, good company, great food, football. After everyone was gone and clean up was done, I kicked back with a vodka and cranberry and did some online shopping around 9:30, got some good deals, free shipping, no hassles, no insanity.
ReplyDeletetoo bad people aren't this passionate about voting
ReplyDeleteAmen to that!
DeleteHope we can change that next year and clean out some of the GOP infection in Congress.
We do not shop on the day after Thanksgiving. Frankly I find it simply obscene that the day after Thanksgiving is called "Black Friday." To turn a day of thanksgiving for all that we have and for all that is good about our being here at this time and in this place and with our families into the eve of a day of outright greed and consumerism is just horrible. And for businesses to open just after the family has finished its dinner so that the turkey-pumpkin-pie-filled-greedy-shoppers can begin their spending orgy a few hours earlier makes it even worse. Kudos to those few states that have now ordered retail stores closed on Thanksgiving Day. Workers should have the day off - from start to finish. The poor sales ladies who get to prepare the Thanksgiving meal and clean up and then change clothes and drive to the stores where they work to stand for another ten to twelve hours simply should not be allowed. Today is Saturday and I may do a little online shopping late this afternoon but it can really wait until next week. We'll stop at the grocery store for a few things after lunch today and then we'll get the big boxes of Christmas decorations down from the shelves in the garage and tomorrow I'll decorate the house, minus the tree which we will buy from our favorite tree lot in the next ten days or so. In the meantime I'll do the cards and start to wrap gifts that I bought BEFORE Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom